McGovern's Republican challengers debate in Hopkinton

Friday

Among Republican candidates trying to unseat Democratic congressman Jim McGovern in the Third District, there is disagreement over whether Scott Brown's upset Senate win spurred them to run.

Among Republican candidates trying to unseat Democratic congressman Jim McGovern in the Third District, there is disagreement over whether Scott Brown's upset Senate win spurred them to run.

But the candidates at a Hopkinton debate last night promised a similar result among the 28 cities and towns in the oddly shaped House district, stretching from Fall River to Worcester and described by challenger Brian Herr as a "comma going around the corner of Rhode Island."

Herr, a regional manager for an electrical supply firm and a former Hopkinton selectmen chairman, successfully answered a panelist's pop quiz on the district's geography, as did Harvard physicist Mike Stopa of Holliston and public defender Bob Delle of Paxton.

Real estate attorney Marty Lamb of Holliston and mortgage broker Bob Chipman of Plainville did not attend the debate, sponsored by The Hopkinton Independent newspaper and broadcast on local public access HCAM-TV.

Delle acknowledged the unlikely prospect of a Republican carrying Worcester, but he said he thinks he can chip away votes there because of his connections through Worcester court.

He is targeting Tea Party members, traditional Republicans and anti-abortion "Reagan Democrats," and he said he thinks the district is united by "conservative cultural values."

Stopa noted that Brown still won despite not taking Worcester and Fall River. He added a brief explanation of the history of the word "gerrymander," showing a knack for details.

Herr said he knows union contractors and has spoken to police and firefighters.

"There are a lot of people in the unions of Worcester that are looking for change," he said.

But before a Republican can challenge McGovern, one of the party contenders needs to win the Sept. 14 primary. To that end, debate panelists pushed the candidates to differentiate themselves.

Stopa said he would cut the federal civilian workforce 10 percent, laying off roughly 130,000 employees, but both Delle and Herr disagreed with the proposal. Herr cited the resulting spike in unemployment and said he prefers to reduce the federal payroll through retirements and workers leaving for other jobs.

Delle said he supports taking the $250 million in federal education money recently awarded to Massachusetts, but Herr and Stopa characterized it as a handout hindering state control.

On immigration, Delle said he thinks those here illegally are inappropriately receiving government benefits but are not taking jobs American citizens would want. But Herr and Stopa both support stricter workplace enforcement to make those without documentation to go home.

"I'm not talking about rounding them up and putting them on buses," Stopa said.

Stopa supports some aspects of Arizona's controversial immigration law, but he doesn't support authorizing Massachusetts police officers to make spot checks for identification, a provision Delle also opposes. Herr said he was open to the idea, however, assuming the federal government makes no further effort to address the situation.

Stopa branded himself an "outsider in a year of outsiders," one who had issued a wealth of proposals and attracted notice in a newspaper opinion piece and a conservative talk show radio appearance.

Delle said he stood for innovation, rather than simply fighting old battles, and pitched "free-enterprise" zones with fewer taxes and regulations to spur economic growth and job creation.

Herr, meanwhile, reminded the audience he had previously been elected twice.

"That is a big difference," he said.

(Michael Morton can be reached at mmorton@cnc.com or 508-626-4338.)

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